Christopher Renzi, the current owner of the "CR7" trademark in the
U.S., has opened legal proceedings against Cristiano Ronaldoand the
company that controls his marketing affairs, JBS Textile Group.
Renzi is seeking official confirmation the moniker is his after
receiving threatening letters from JBS, which possesses "imminent
plans" to launch an underwear range featuring Ronaldo's name and
symbolic stamp in America, reported by Andrew Chung of Reuters and
via ESPN FC:
JBS has also asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel
Renzi's trademark. But Renzi, who registered the 'CR7' trademark in
2009, has filed a lawsuit against Ronaldo in order to prove that he
owns the licence to the term in the U.S.
Renzi is said to have utilised the initials across a range of branded
clothes. The three-character design relates to his name and date of
birth, Oct.7, but Ronaldo's representatives believe this was
deliberately used in order to capitalise on the player's global
marketability.
JBS indicates the CR7 tag is "so closely tied to the fame and
reputation of Cristiano Ronaldo, that a connection with the soccer
player would immediately be presumed by the general public," a
factor that would likely increase the chances of making sales, per
ESPN FC .
Ronaldo currently enjoys a number of prosperous sponsorship deals
and is a marketing juggernaut himself. He earns around £14.1 million
per year advertising Nike products and joined Tag Heuer prior to the
World Cup. The former Manchester United star is also the face of
Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer video game series, underlining his
appeal across a range of different products.
Similar to sports stars such as Roger Federer and Tiger Woods--both
of whom have their own patented logos-- Ronaldo's CR7 alias is
recognisable throughout the world. As such, his plans to launch a
range of underwear in the U.S. come after he faced the American
national side at the 2014 World Cup.
While Ronaldo is yet to appear in Real Madrid 's pre-season tour of
the country, there's no doubt a lucrative market remains on offer.
ESPN FC notes the player's 28 million Twitter followers and 93
million Facebook likes as a barometer of his appeal.
Sports Pro , in association with Eurosport, recently outlined
Ronaldo as the world's fourth-most marketable athlete for the next
three years. Real Madrid's Champions League and Copa del Rey triumphs
will certainly aid his quest to sell shirts for the club who paid
Manchester United £80 million for Ronaldo's services in 2009.
Sportswear branded in one star's image has become popular across the globe.
Michael Feldhuhn, Renzi's lawyer, indicated his client isn't worried
about the likely battle to secure the rights. He suggests it isn't a
matter of fame, but who used the styling first.
" We just want them to leave us alone," Feldhuhn said, per ESPN FC .
"We can show we were the first use of the CR7 name in commerce in America."
But Ronaldo may have other battles to forge across the coming year.
DermotCorrigan of ESPN FC commentedafter his recent stint of injury
problems:
Ronaldo's fitness going to be one of biggest La Liga stories of new
season I reckons.
Whether Renzi hangs on to the CR7 tag remains to be seen. It would be
interesting to see what route Ronaldo's marketers take if the player
isn't granted sole rights, meaning it may be most profitable to begin
promoting a new label.
It's likely the Portuguese international can sell vast quantities of
his underwear range with or without the CR7 tag attached, such is his
current dominance.
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